Dubai has 4 road offences every minute

Dubai’s drivers committed more than four traffic offences every minute in 2013 to maintain the emirate’s position as having one of the world’s worst traffic records.

Speed remained on the top of the offences, accounting for nearly half the total. This shows drivers are still undeterred by intensified traffic police patrols, awareness campaigns and the installation of more speed cameras through the emirate’s roads.

Police data showed a total 2.44 million traffic offences were registered in the Gulf’s commercial and business hub last year, an average 6,689 offences every day, nearly 288 offences every hour and an average 4.6 offences every minute.

The number of offences last year was nearly 3.4 per cent over the 2.36 million traffic violations recorded in the emirate in 2012, the figures showed.

Speed offences last year totaled 1.15 million while there were 124,000 offences for breaking lane rules, 114,000 offences for wrong parking, 107,000 offences for blocking traffic, over 63,000 violations for failing to leave enough space with other cars, nearly 50,000 offences for violating pedestrian crossing rules, around 46,000 seat belt offences and 35,670 offences for using mobile phones while driving.

The Arabic language daily Emarat Alyoum, quoting traffic police chief Major General Mohammed Al Zafin, said the number of offences involving jumping the red lights plunged by nearly 36 per cent to 15,288 in 2013 compared with 2012.

“I am pleased that such kinds of offences are on the decline because they often cause fatal accidents,” Zafin said.